Still keeping the shadowed side of the
battlements, he proceeded cautiously along, and so still was his motion
that he passed undiscovered, even by the sentinels who guarded this
quarter of the fortress.
He soon arrived at the open square before the citadel; it was yet
occupied by groups of Southron officers, gayly walking to and fro under
the light of the moon. In hopes of gaining some useful information
from their discourse, he concealed himself behind a chest of arrows;
and as they passed backward and forward, distinctly heard them jesting
each other about divers fair dames of the country around. The
conversation terminated in a debate, whether or no the indifference
which their governor De Valence manifested to the majestic beauties of
the Countess of Mar were real or assumed. A thousand free remarks were
made on the subject, and Edwin gathered sufficient from the discourse,
to understand that the earl and countess were treated severely, and
confined in a large, square tower in the cleft of the rock.
Having learned all that he could expect from these officers, he
speeded, under the friendly shadow, toward the other side of the
citadel, and arrived just as the guard approached to relieve the
sentinels of the northern postern.
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